Above you can see, the new 5380 has had some huge advantages over the 5370, with 1GB Ethernet ports that support increase node, axes, and buffers counts.

Next we'll take a look at power and I/O:

5370:

Requires purchase of 1769 Power Supply and End Cap

Supports up to 30 local 1769 I/O modules with additional power supplies and cables

Power Supply and I/O come with terminal blocks

5380:

Integrated Power Supple, End Cap included with processor.

Supports up to 31 local 5069 I/O modules

Processor and I/O DO NOT come with terminal blocks, must order separately

5069 is higher speed and higher accuracy I/O, and now support being used as “near instant” event triggers

Reduced module width, as well as reduced required clearance above and below modules

Besides the integrated power supply, the other take-away is the new 5069 I/O is higher speed and requires less space.

Now let's look at memory:

5370:

Comes in 1, 2, and 3MB versions

Requires 80% to be reserved for future firmware enhancements and runtime communication

5380:

Comes in 2 and 4mb versions today, with .6, 1, and 3mb versions scheduled for July

No memory reserve required, 100% may be used for applications

Bottom line: Even if you buy a model with the same memory size, you can actually use all of it which is like getting 20% extra.

Next, Let's look at some important differences that didn't quite fit into any of the other categories:

5370:

Safety version available

Phase Manager supported

Alarm Instructions supported (ALMA, ALMD)

Supports version 20+

5380:

20% increased in capacity

5-20 times faster scan times and task switching (vs 5370)

Task monitor now built into 5380 webpages

Safety, Phase Manager, and ALM support to be added in future

Supports version 28+

Finally, lets take a look at “Estimated Street Prices:”

[artadrr-smallpac-e]5370 with 2MB

L33ER ($2,854) + PA2 ($261) + ECR ($33) = $3,148

5380 with 2MB

L320ER ($3,132 ) + RTB64-SCREW ($50) = $3,182

Surprisingly, you get all the advantages of the 5380 controller for nearly the same price as the 5370.

And from what I can tell, the 5069 I/O seems priced similarity to the 1769 I/O, making it very tempting to migrate from an L33ER to an L320ER as long as you're not using ALM instructions, Phase Manager, or the Compact GuardLogix version.

However, if you're currently using any ERM model, your only 5380 choice today would be the expensive L340ERM, with an estimated street price of $7,544. In this case I wouldn't expect those customers to migrate until the additional 5380 models are released, which I'm currently told is scheduled for this July.

If you're thinking about migrating, or have a reason you can't, I'd love to hear from you. Just submit the “post a comment or question” form below to leave you comments.